Freedom for Yoga - Yoga and Government Don't Mix

We are pleased to invite you to “Yoga and Government Don’t Mix Workshop” organized at Prana Yoga College on Saturday, November 3, 2012 (5:00-6:30 pm) at 200-291 East 2nd Ave, Vancouver.

Francisco MacDugall will be presenting regarding a process that Yoga Colleges can use to deal with PCTIA. This workshop will cover two main topics. The first topic will present a basic understanding of how the legal system is setup with respect to what is called contract law, and how much control anyone can have over it. The second topic will be a presentation on how to use this process of contract law to stop PCTIA from interfering with yoga business.

Yoga studios and colleges in the United States have successfully won their campaign against Government regulations and expensive licensing fees. Let’s take some initiative based on their success in our quest for “Freedom For Yoga”.

Very Important: On September 26, PCTIA announced the election of Bob Kitching to their Board. When asked what he wanted to accomplish at PCTIA, he responded: “I would like to see the Board’s mandate encompass all post-secondary education institutions, regardless of size. For example, schools offering courses less than $1000 and less than 40 hours/week should be required to be members.”

That means that all yoga teachers could be affected. Even if you teach a two hour seminar or workshop you would have to be registered with PCTIA and pay more fees and more regulations for yoga teachers.

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FREEDOM FOR YOGA

British Columbia is known for our commitment and passion for Yoga and education. Right now, that's under threat. Today, with your help we can make a difference.

Here is What You Need To Know:

The path of yoga is a private one of devotion that embraces body, mind and spirit. Yoga (which means union) promotes health, vitality, peace and freedom.

Yoga colleges and studios that offer 200 and 500 hour yoga teacher training are small businesses within their communities, and as such, are rightly subject to the normal Government regulations that protect the health and safety of their students.

Most of these colleges are also members of the Canadian Yoga Alliance which belongs to the International Yoga Federation, and are therefore regulated to international standards by organizations that understand the nature of yoga.

In B.C. however, these yoga colleges are also subject to regulation from the Private Career Training Institutions Agency “PCTIA”, an agency of the BC Government's Ministry of Advanced Education. PCTIA was created to set and regulate standards for institutions that offer career training, which, in unregulated industries may be useful.

But in the yoga community, it is an unnecessary and even destructive level of bureaucratic interference. PCTIA charges these yoga colleges and studios onerous and exorbitant fees (which must be passed on to yoga students) and requires complex and time-consuming administrative burdens that only serve to drain and tax the prana life force from dedicated yoga teachers.

Summary:

Yoga teachers and colleges are already regulated by the Canadian Yoga Alliance and the yoga community receives no benefit from PCTIA. The high fees charged by PCTIA only serve to increase yoga tuition fees and discourage its growth and flourishing.

Action:

We call on the government to take the necessary steps to remove yoga practice, yoga training and yoga teachers from the list of careers governed and regulated by PCTIA. [Such government-directed exclusion is specifically permitted in the PCTIA Act, Regulations - Section 25 (2)(c).]

When you sign this petition, the following email will be automatically sent to:

Yoga colleges and studios that offer 200 and 500 hour yoga teacher training are small businesses within their communities, and as such, are rightly subject to the normal Government regulations that protect the health and safety of their students.

Most of these colleges are also members of the Canadian Yoga Alliance which belongs to the International Yoga Federation, and are therefore regulated to international standards by organizations that understand the nature of yoga.

In B.C. however, these yoga colleges are also subject to regulation from the Private Career Training Institutions Agency “PCTIA”, an agency of the BC Government's Ministry of Advanced Education. PCTIA was created to set and regulate standards for institutions that offer career training, which, in unregulated industries may be useful.

But in the yoga community, it is an unnecessary and even destructive level of bureaucratic interference. PCTIA charges these yoga colleges and studios onerous and exorbitant fees (which must be passed on to yoga students) and requires complex and time-consuming administrative burdens that only serve to drain and tax the prana life force from dedicated yoga teachers.

Summary:

Yoga teachers and colleges are already regulated by the Canadian Yoga Alliance and the yoga community receives no benefit from PCTIA. The high fees charged by PCTIA only serve to increase yoga tuition fees and discourage its growth and flourishing.

Action Requested:

We call on the government to take the necessary steps to remove yoga practice, yoga training and yoga teachers from the list of careers governed and regulated by PCTIA. [Such government-directed exclusion is specifically permitted in the PCTIA Act, Regulations - Section 25 (2)(c).]----------------